Over half of election candidates faced abuse and harassment, major report reveals

The government's advisor on political violence told ITV News of the risk of "violent attacks which have seen frontline politicians be murdered", as ITV News Political Correspondent Shehab Khan reports

Words by Political Correspondent Shehab Khan and Politics Producer Maya Bowles

More than half the candidates in the July General Election faced harassment, intimidation, or abuse, according to a major report by the elections watchdog.

The findings from the Electoral Commission reveal a concerning level of hostility directed at those running for office.

Reacting to the report, the government's advisor on political violence, Lord Walney, told ITV News that without more government action to tackle threats against candidates and MPs, "we risk repeats of the kind of violent attacks which have seen frontline politicians be murdered".

The review revealed 55% of candidates encountered some form of abuse or intimidation, while 56% opted to avoid certain campaign activities out of fear for their safety.

Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission Vijay Rangarajan said the level of harassment and intimidation faced by candidates was "concerning" and requires "urgent and coordinated action."

He warned the abuse is "deterring some people from standing to be candidates, and inhibiting how some engage with voters".

Preet Gill, the Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said she's no stranger to abuse, but that this election was unprecedented in terms of the harassment she faced.

During the campaign she had to report incidents to the police four times, after she was verbally harassed while out with her daughter, had her campaign placards targeted by vandals, and received abuse and death threats on social media.

"It's not fair game that MPs should put up with this... I want to be able to walk about freely like everybody else", she told ITV News.

She revealed her teenage children have become aware of the kind of daily threats she faces, adding: "They legitimately ask me, 'Is someone going to kill you?'"

"When my daughter said that to me, I just burst into tears."

Many of the threats Gill faced during this election were from people unhappy with Labour's response to the war in Gaza. The words "murderer" and "blood on hands" were written on her campaign posters.

Discussions about the safety of MPs' have escalated since the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023 and the Israeli military campaign in Gaza - with heightened tensions about the conflict spilling into the campaign trail for many candidates in the July election.

The Electoral Commission report highlighted: "Ongoing international tensions in some cases led to an increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic abuse directed at candidates."

The murders of MPs Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021 shook Westminster, sparking a whole new debate about the safety of our elected representatives.

While the government has increased security funding and support for MPs, their own advisor on political violence urged them to go further.

Lord Walney told ITV News: "Unfortunately we risk repeats of the kind of violent attacks which have seen front line politicians be murdered"

"But on a wider level we risk driving the very people we need to be coming into politics… we risk those people going: 'I don’t want anything to do with this'".

Lord Walney welcomed the action the government and police have taken so far to step up support for MPs, but urged them to do more: "There is more to be done", he told ITV News.

"It’s a responsibility now for the government to ensure that other pressing priorities don’t push this down the agenda."

This is an issue that defies party lines.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, had a milkshake thrown at him during the election campaign. And one of his party’s candidates, Steve Rubidge, suffered "severely torn ligaments" after an altercation while out campaigning.

Rubidge was handing out leaflets in the Truro and Falmouth constituency when a man started verbally harassing him and then stole his bag with campaign materials, wallet and keys inside.

Mr Rubidge said he chased the man, and a physical tussle ensued as he tried to grab the bag back. He alleges the man punched and hit him.

"It did make me think - is this worth it?" he said.

"It was right at the beginning of my campaign... you're then more wary about how people are reacting, especially the ones that start shouting at you in the street."

Parliament welcomed a major new step in efforts to tackle the threats MPs face in October, as it agreed to set up a Speaker's Conference to look at the issue.

There have only been eight Speaker's Conferences in the last hundred years, usually convened to tackle issues around elections.

It will consider factors influencing the threat levels against candidates and MPs during the election period and the effectiveness of the response to those threats.

A House of Commons spokesperson told ITV News that abuse and intimidation was "completely unacceptable" and that it is "fundamental to our democracy" that MPs and their staff are able to do their jobs safely.

“As part of the comprehensive induction of MPs in the new Parliament, a full range of security advice and services has been provided to new and returning Members,” the spokesperson added.

The previous government announced a £31 million package to bolster protections for MPs, including providing elected politicians with a dedicated police contact to liaise with over safety issues.

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